


Burning Desire

by apisa_b



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Fire Crabs, Madame Pomfrey - Freeform, Professor Kettleburn - Freeform, Rarepair
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-13
Updated: 2018-09-13
Packaged: 2019-07-11 22:23:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15981743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/apisa_b/pseuds/apisa_b
Summary: The foremost rule when dealing with dangerous magical creatures is not to be distracted.





	Burning Desire

He watched her walk that boy toward the Whomping Willow just as he watched them every full moon. Against the setting sun, he only was able to make out her silhouette, which was a shame, really; her gracious movements were apparent even then. He watched her every move, never looking away from her figure, while his heart yearned for her. But, he quelled his heart’s desire as he had done for the past few years. She was such a fine young woman. Young woman – here was the reason why he would never act on his feelings. She was so much younger than he, much too beautiful, and far too desirable. What would a woman like her possibly want with an ageing man like himself, a man scarred by his profession? His eyes followed her progress up to the Greenhouses until she was out of sight, then his gaze lingered at the spot where she had last been visible to him. Lost in reverie, he had totally forgotten why he had come down here to the edge of the Forbidden Forest; that is, until a searing pain shot through his hand up into his arm – Fire Crabs are not creatures to forgive inattentiveness easily.

~~~

After escorting the student down to the secret passage the Whomping Willow protected, she set out for the Greenhouses, hoping she might find _him_ there. He drew her attention as a light drew moths. He was tall, very impressive, and his greying hair only added to his overall attractiveness and charisma. As he taught Care of Magical Creatures, he did not spend much of his time indoors, unlike his colleagues who were teaching more intellectual subjects, and thus his skin was tanned and his body toned, able to move with cat-like grace. She was always astonished at how silent his footsteps in his thick-soled boots were. Yes, he was scarred, but he wore his scars with pride and let the stories of how he got them be a warning to his students. She had barely reached the Greenhouses when the vibration of her wand alerted her to an emergency requiring her immediate presence in the hospital wing.

~~~

She looked calm and composed when she arrived at the Hospital Wing – her hair neatly tucked away under her nurse’s cap – but upon seeing the raw flesh where the Fire Crab had scorched away his skin, she briefly lost her countenance and her mask of professionalism was stripped away, revealing the feelings of the woman beneath. In mere moments, she was all nurse again, wordlessly working her healing magic. “I hope the tissue won’t scar. You came to me quickly enough to prevent worse,” Poppy finally addressed Professor Kettleburn. “But pray, what possibly could have distracted you so much to –“ “– let me make a mistake a fifth-year could avoid?” He lifted his eyes from her hands, busy applying bandages, to meet her gaze and blushed like a schoolboy. Poppy knew well how to handle schoolboys.

**Author's Note:**

> Professor Kettleburn retired in PoA to spend time with "his remaining limbs." So I assumed he already taught Care of Magical Creature during the Marauder’s era.


End file.
